It takes one to know one! And who better to evaluate the greatness of the job Dan Hurley has been doing at UConn than the Arkansas Razorbacks head coach, John Calipari?

As Dan Hurley prepares to coach his third Final Four game in the last four years, his UConn Huskies are set to face another uphill challenge in an Illinois team that has been highly efficient in its ball movement and shots.

Arkansas head coach John Calipari joined ESPN’s Mike Greenberg to highlight Dan Hurley’s standout quality that has helped the UConn Huskies be successful on the floor.

“His adjustments in the game, but the biggest thing with guys like that, Larry Brown, is their will is stronger than anyone else’s will. From the staff to the players, they have that kind of will that Danny has… and it comes out of his team. He’s done a great job.”

The adjustments were on full display as we saw a completely different UConn team take the floor after trailing Duke by double digits at halftime. And even though his players made a heroic play to win the game at the end, Hurley had already given them the blueprint of what to do if they couldn’t snatch the ball within the first few seconds of the inbound.

John Calipari himself knows a thing or two about winning. The veteran head coach led Arkansas to the SEC Tournament title this year, having joined the program from Kentucky two years ago. At Kentucky, Calipari won the National Championship in 2012, and secured multiple SEC titles.

Talking about will, Braylon Mullins’ belief in himself to sink that 35-foot shot while missing every other three-pointer on the night mirrors Dan Hurley’s own character. Even Alex Karaban sank his first three-pointer of the game in the last minute, showing how their will to perform is not affected by the pressure of the situation and their performance leading up to that shot.

The ability to decide in that moment without letting whatever happened before affect their decision-making process goes beyond basketball and shows the belief system instilled in UConn’s core philosophy under Dan Hurley. UConn’s one-point win over Duke is a testament to the team’s will to keep going on despite facing a tall ask.

Well, Hurley will require his Huskies to display more of that will in their Final Four game against Illinois, as he eyes a third National Championship game in four years. If the UConn Huskies overcome Illinois’ challenge, it could lead to some uncomfortable conversations around Dan Hurley’s college basketball legacy.

Dan Hurley’s remarks point to a key attribute aiding UConn’s successful legacy

While a lot has been made of Dan Hurley’s courtside antics, he has surprised and maybe jinxed himself by highlighting that he has yet to receive a technical in the NCAA Tournament in his coaching career. And while that may sound rather normal, for a head coach as animated as Dan Hurley, this statistic will force others to think.

The latest controversy involving the 53-year-old in the dying moments of UConn’s upset win over Duke has also elicited a few reactions. Fans and experts have had their say on whether Dan Hurley should have received a technical for almost butting heads in a viral clip with the official Roger Ayers after Braylon Mullins’ miracle 35-footer.

For Dan Hurley, though, the reaction was justified and held no malice or aggression, but a silent admission of the absurdity of what everyone just witnessed in that moment. And while the UConn head coach downplays the incident, he is aware of how media, fans, and others might perceive it.

Talking ahead of UConn’s Final Four game against Illinois, Hurley admitted, “For some people, we’re just out there playing a game. For me, it’s a life-or-death battle. It’s a war. It’s a street fight for me… All that other stuff, it comes with the territory, and a lot of it comes with the success. The winning back-to-back championships, you put yourself in a position where you’re going to be picked apart.”

It sure felt like the UConn players were prepared to go to war when entering the floor after halftime in the comeback win over Duke. Hurley’s acknowledgement of the eyeballs and scrutiny that his success at UConn will attract is rare and shows that the 53-year-old is in touch with reality.

Hurley would hope to keep the streak of avoiding a technical during the NCAA Tournament alive when his Huskies face Illinois. But make no mistake, the UConn head coach will once again be rallying his troops with his war cry from the bench at the Lucas Oil Stadium.